Gun carriage



May 18 1926. 1,584,946

B. P. JOYCE GUN CARRIAGE Filed July 3l, 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Ell-l "IIIIIIHHIU IIIIIIIII May 18 1926.

1,584,946 B. P. JOYCE GUN CARRIAGE Filed July 3l, 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 En* an P JEHCE B. P. JOYCE GUN CARRIAGE May 18 1926.

Filed July 3l, 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Bigard-J5EE Patented May 18, 1926,

BRYAN P. JOYCE, OF DAVENPORT, OWA, ASSIGNOR TO THOMAS A. CONLON, OF SILVER SPRING, MARYLAND.

GUN CARRIAGE.

Application filed July 31, 1924.

Serial No. 729,322.

The invention described herein maybe used by the Government, or any of its oilicers or employees in prosecution ot work for the Government, or by any o-ther person in the United States, without payment to me of any royalty thereon, in accordance with the act of March 3, 1883.

The present invention relates to gun carriages, and particularly, to elevating mechanism and top'carriage for that class of guns which are adapted to accompany infantry troops or for use in mountainous regions.

Guns of this type must possess eXtreme mobility and to this end the various parts must lend themselves to ready dismantling and assembly for transportation by hand. In addition, the reduction of the component parts to a minimum number necessitates a construction of the gun carriage so that the gun cradle may be properly mounted and dependably held during recoil, counterrecoil, and elevation.

To this end, the present invention is designed to provide a novel and unique top carriage constructed to eiiectively support and lock the gun cradle during liring and which includes the operating elements for conveniently actuating an elevating mechanism from a position adjacent the breech of the gun. A

There is also provided an elevating mechanism in which provision is made, specilically, by a spherical nut which is yieldingly conned in and rotatable with a cage, to eliminate binding action upon operation of the mechanism.

To these and other ends, my invention consists in the construction, arrangement, and combination of elements, described hereinafter and pointed out in the claims forming a part of this specification.

A practical embodiment of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which,-

Fig. 1 is a view inside elevation of a gun carriage embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same;

Fig. 3 is a plan View of the elevating mechanism Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. (3 is a detail view ot the spherical nut;

Fig. 7 is a det-ail view ot one oi" the segments;

Fig. 8 is a plan view of the top carriage;

Fig. 9 is a view in side elevation of the top carriage;

Fig. 10 is a rear view of the salue;

Fig. 11 is a detail perspective of' the trunnion cap;

Fig, 12 is a perspective of the locking lever;

Fig. 13 is a detail view of the trunnion bearing; and

Fig. 14 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view of the recoil cylinder.

Referring to the drawings by characters of reference:

The gun barrel A is reciprocally mounted in a cradle B, which is herein shown as a casing surrounding the barrel and supported at its rear in a top carriage C, which top carriage is mounted on trails D, having the usual spade E. The trails are secured to a housing F which embrace a partially threaded axle G connecting wheels H. Carried by the axle housing F is a casing I, in which is disposed the elevating mechanism K, to pivotally support the forward portion of the cradle B above the axle.

Any suitable mechanism may be employed for counteracting the recoil and counterrecoil movement of the gun and for returning the gun to battery. That herein shown is similar to the subject of my invention as disclosed in Patent No. 1,480,557, and comprises a recoil spring 10, embracing the gun within the cradle and compressed against a bearing 11 by a cap 12, secured to the forward end of the barrel. Similarly, a cylinder 13 filled with any suitable fluid is rigidly secured to the gun cradle and receives a piston 14 retractable with the gun during recoil and carrying a valve mechanism 15 of any desired character.

The rear end of the' cradle is provided with a band 16, having trunnions 17, which are disposed in trunnion blocks 18, formed on the top carriage C.

The top carriage is a casting having oppositely disposed bearings 19, embracing the As will be seen from Figures 9 and 10,.

the side Walls 21 are inclined only through a portion or' .their height whence they errtend vertically te form the sides et the sea-t 24; and blend with the front and rear Walls, which extend laterally thereof, (see Fig. S) to form the trunnion blocks 18, (see Fig. 13).

The Jfront ends of the trunnion blocks are biitureated (see Fig. 8) to `form a hinge butt 26, its central portion is depressed' semiciroularly as at 27 (Fig. 13) to form` the trunnion bearing, While the rearmost portion is terminated beyond the rear Wall 23 in an attenuated extension 28. Pivoted to the butts 26 are trunnion caps'29, centrally raised as at 8O to accommodate the trunnions and extending beyond the rear walls Where they are bifurcated to form but-ts 31 (Fig. 9) for the reception ol2 a locking lever 32, which is also bifurcated to straddle the extension. 2S, in order to rigidly `maintain the trunnion capv in locked position. The

lever is formed with an ear 33, registering with a lateral projection Se on the rear Wall, both of which are apertured to receive a snap hook 35, loosely carried on' a chain 36` secured to the side Wall in any convenientmanner.

The top carriage is further cast` With a.

38 (see Fig. 3)v for the reception ofy a shaft.

39, which extends forwardly .at an angle to the axle. of the gun to be operatively connected to the elevating mechanism K. The gear casing 37 is also formed on its outer side with a guide l0 for the reception of a shaft 41, on `the outer end of which is: squared a hand; Wheel 4:2: (see Fig. 2) by means of which gear 43 is actuatedto ro,- tate the shaft 39, through engagement with a gear (not shown) fast on the inner end of the shaft 41..

"The elevating mechanism is enclosed in the casing I, which comprises av castingy l5 formed integrally With the axle housing F andI secured tof the casting in any suitable manner isa bottom, platel 416. v

Supported' by the bottoni plate is.y abowlshaped pinion 47, to which is keyedyani in-. vertedjv similarly shaped' cover; plate 48 formed with an annular flange 49 for seat ingthe plate on the casting e5. rl`he pinion l? and cover plate 48 in assembly constitute a housing for confining a spherical nut 50, constrained to rotate therewith by means oit pins 51 carried by the cover plate and inserted in ring segments 52 disposed in grooves 53 in the spherical nut. The pins may be inserted through an aperture 54@ in the casing` l5 and the aperture closed'by a soew 55.

Passing through the casing I and spherical nut 50 is a threaded shaft 58, pivotally attachedyto a band 57, encircling une gun cradle B and through which the gun is adapted to be elevated or depressed when the housing and nut are rotated through the pinion el? by a beveled gear 5S, secured to the shaft and meshing With said pinion. rlhe .spherical nut, being yieldingly held, will be capable of limited universal movement to prevent binding action duringT operation of the elevating mechanism.

rlhe gunl is traversed about the spade E as acenter by a hand Wheel 58 (see F l1.) as disclosed in my Patent, No. 1,480,556.

The usualy sighting mechanism may be mounted on the trunnion or gun cradle in any convenient manner, so that it Will bel moved with the gunl duringy elevation and depression.

For convenience in transportationthe gun cradle is removed by elevating the piece until the threads onr the elevatingv shaft unlocking the. While the gun itself may bev clear the Wall nut and; then trunnion caps, disengaged from the cradle if desired., The carriage is dismantled by removing the left Wheel` and unthreading` the axle from the axle housing` The trail with the axle housing, the elevating mechanism, and the top carriage form one load', While the Wheels term another.

)While in the foregoing there has been illustrated and described such combination and arrangement ofelements,y as constitute the preferred embodiment it is neverthelessy desiredto emphasizethe fact that interpretation of the invention should only be conclusive when made in the light of the subjoinedclaims.

l claim:

1. In combination. with a-naxley housing, a trail anda top` carriage, an elevatingmechanism including ay casing carried by the housing, a bowlshaped pinion Within the casing, a bovvl-shaped cover plate lie-,vedy 'to the pinion, a spherical nut embracedv by the pinion and cover, said nut formed With grooves, ring segments Within the grooves, pins carried by the cover and/inserted inthe .segments whereby to yieldingl-y connect the cover and the spherical nut,` a threaded shajt passing, 'through l the nut, and meaais connected with the top carriage the pinion.

ot my invention,`

for rotating.;-

.2. In Combination with an axle housing, a trail and a top carriage, an elevating meehanism including a, Casi-ng carried hy the heusiru;`r a hef ingr rotatable Within the oasing', a pherreal nut Within the hearingand yielding-ly held to rotate therewith, a threaded Shaft passing through the nut5 and means connected With the top carriage for rotating the hearing.

3. ln Combination with a trail, a top oarriage and an axle housing, an elevating rneohanisln including` a Casing carried by the housing, a hearing rotatable within the easing, a spherical nut rotatable with the bearing, a threaded shaft passing through the nut7 and means connected with the top oarriage for rotating' the hearing.

4. In combination With a gun carriage, an axle housing, a trail fast on said housing, an elevating mechanism supported by the housing, a top carriage supported by the trail, a

gear easing formed on the top Carriage, and a shaft connecting' the easing and the elevating mechanism.

fr top carriage 'for `guns including trail bearings for supporting the carriage, a truncated pyraindal cradle mount formed with trunnon blocks, each having an attenuated extension, trunnion caps hingedly secured to the blocks, a bifurcated locking?, lever hingedly secured to the cap and adapted to Straddle the extension und snap hooks Jfor securing the lever to the lnount. 4

6. A, top carriage for guns including trail hearings -for Supporting the carriage, a truncated pyrainidal cradle mount formed with trunnion hloekS, each having an attenuated extension, trunnion Gaps hingedly secured to the block, and a looking lever hingedly secured to the cap, said locking lever being hifureated to Straddle the extension.

BRYAN P. JOYCE. 

